1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to the field of image recording. In particular, the invention relates to detecting characteristics of an ink tank used with an image recording apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
Image recording devices such as, for example, ink jet printers, normally have a removable ink cartridge or tank that holds ink used in recording images.
Millions of ink tanks are sold each year for popular models of image recording devices. Some of the ink tanks can have different properties that result in different performance of the image recording device. For example, the ink within the ink tanks can have different properties or the ink tanks can have different capacities or ink flow rates. The differences in these and other properties or characteristics can cause operational problems in the image recording device. Therefore, there is a real need for a simple and efficient method and apparatus for determining ink tank characteristics.
Optical methods exist for detecting different ink tanks used with an image recording device. Some of these optical methods are discussed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/572,595 filed Dec. 14, 1995.
In order to distinguish between ink tanks having different characteristics but physically fitting in a particular image recording device, the invention provides an ink tank having a main body with a plurality of indicator positions located in the main body. Each of the plurality of indicator positions corresponds to a different one of a plurality of sensors in an ink tank holder of the image recording apparatus and each of the indicators can be detected by a corresponding one of the plurality of sensors. The invention also provides an image recording apparatus for use with such an ink tank.
The indicators can, for example, be magnets and the sensors can, for example, be Hall effect sensors. The invention has the advantages of being very inexpensive and allowing the detection of multiple different ink tanks.
These and other features and advantages of the invention are described in or are apparent from the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments.